Deseret News | Reader comments: Welfare efforts bring Jews, LDS together

Reader comments
Welfare efforts bring Jews, LDS together

Chris, yes that, Chris Johnson | 7:33 p.m. June 9, 2009

That's great! It's good to see good people from all faiths joining together to serve people worldwide. I would hope that the media will trumpet this as much as they did all the hoopla about people of other faiths being baptized posthumously.

Great story. Thanks Dnews.

Hi Utah, how's it goin'?

Elder & Sister Nelson | 11:14 p.m. June 9, 2009

What a wonderful story to read thanks to the Deseret News and the internet, as we are able to read it here in Sweden while serving the Lord. It makes us very humble and thankful to have positive comments about the church and all the good they do for other people of different faiths, nationalities etc. We are so happy the Jewish faith had a positive experience in Salt Lake. There truly is good and positive things with every religion.

JSmith | 5:47 a.m. June 10, 2009

Of course we're working with them...it just makes sense if you're going to save all of humanity. However wonderful the rabbis comments were, what is he doing to help us conduct baptisms by proxy for generations of Jewish dead, which his church has hammered us repeatedly when all we want to is help them as well?

Comments continue below

D. Everett | 6:17 a.m. June 10, 2009

I love the Jewish people. They have so much to teach us. May we be like Ephraim and Manasseh -- May we be like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah. What beautiful traditions. Thank you Jewish people for all the mitzahs,for being faithful and for preserving the Torah and the Prophets for our generations. Please forgive us for past ignorance, and thank you for supporting all that is virtuous,lovely,of good report and praiseworthy. Shalom aleichem.

Chris Hobart Tasmania | 6:51 a.m. June 10, 2009

This story gave me so much joy. I am so happy that
the Jewish believers saw the efforrt the LDS Chursh does without heralding their efforts

Benson | 8:33 a.m. June 10, 2009

I wonder if they will build Welfare Square type places in the communities that these Rabbis are coming from. I think it would be awesome to see a Welfare Square that is funded and run by both religions together in New York, California and other places. We do share a common goal and lots of common history and beliefs. Working together to help in welfare is just a natural step. I thank those Rabbis for wanting to help. They are clearly inspired and caring people.

Jewish conversion | 8:46 a.m. June 10, 2009

Brigham Young (JOD Vol 2,p 142 Dec 12,1854) Can you make a Christian of a Jew? I tell you may. If a Jew comes into this Church,and honestly professes to be a Saint, a follower of Christ and if the blood of Judah is in his veins, he will apostate.

Anonymous | 8:49 a.m. June 10, 2009

It is always a nice breather, putting it lightly, to see some good news (and to hear someone pay a compliment to the Church). Yes, I also hope this news gets passed around; it's nice to see this good example of people working to make life better for others who are struggling. Why don't we have a story go along with this one on more of the details of what gets done at Welfare Square? A lot of people don't realize how much Humanitarian Aid the Church and other religions do, and while we want to be careful not to boast, having good examples in the news of how to help others at this difficult time can only help.

Maria813 | 9:44 a.m. June 10, 2009

RE: Jewish Conversion.
I am confused. Please describe how he is an apostate if he excepts Christ?

WHEN EVER | 10:12 a.m. June 10, 2009

i get uptight about the church ..i think of all those good people who work there and then the finger is pointing back at me. without this place so many would go with out...it is not a handout but a hand up..i have used it when i was homeless and now i give back to others who are in other venues. say what you will but nothing but good comes from this place so i thank you with all my heart!!

kathyn | 10:16 a.m. June 10, 2009

jewish conversion....I don't see any point to your post. Wasn't Orson Hyde Jewish? JOD is not scripture and we don't even know if the comments were recorded accurately, so why go there at all?

This article is all about doing good and there wasn't anything negative. Let's just follow that example, okay?

to JSmith: | 10:24 a.m. June 10, 2009

Why should he help with the baptisms for the dead, you seem to think that is owed to us. If there are persons that are not your direct line I agree with the churches stance that permission should be granted by the descending family. Since they are not LDS how do you expect another religion to agree with another's practices.

Wonderful Story | 10:31 a.m. June 10, 2009

Thank you for running this story. I pray the effort will be successful. To the Jewish Conversion: My best friend is a Jewish Catholic from New York. His dad was a Jew and his mother a Catholic. He joined the LDS Chuch in Germany while serving in the army. He was declared to be of the Tribe of Judah. He was faithful to his death a few years ago.

Nice | 12:38 p.m. June 10, 2009

I love it when religions work together for the common good. I wish it would take place more often. There is good that can happen when we all work to serve those in need.

JanSan | 1:22 p.m. June 10, 2009

re: Jewish Conversion
I looked up the reference you listed and read it.
I came away with a totally different understand than you did.
I read it to mean that when a Jewish person truly becomes converted that he is no longer Jewish (in the sence of religion). Remember that Jewish people do not except Christ as the Savior so when a Jewish person excepts Christ is no longer Jewish (as far as the religious aspect goes)
I think that it would be interesting to get some Jewish converts impression on this...

Ali G | 1:54 p.m. June 10, 2009

diggity .. for real .. both the Jews and the Mormons have a belief in the principle of mahogany so why shouldn't they work together ? Check it out ..

Shalom | 2:11 p.m. June 10, 2009

I love to read words of peace and wisdom. Rabbi Hirschfield is obviously a man of God with a great capacity for love and good works. I would love to meet with him and personally express my respect for him and his faith.

RE: JanSan | 3:30 p.m. June 10, 2009

Read the entire page about Jewish conversion(Brigham Young JOD Vol 2, 142 Dec12,1854...."The Messiah came throuh them,and they killed him; and they will be the last of Abraham to have the privlege of receiving the New and everlasting covenant. You may hand them gold,you may feed and clothe them,but it is impossible to convert Jews,until the Lord God almighty does it.

Arbitrary | 4:28 p.m. June 10, 2009

@JSmith the jewish people do not want your salvation. They do not believe baptism is required of them and according to the old testament, the hebrews are god's chosen people. Most would find it offensive to their religion to find out their ancestors have been baptised by proxy, especially without their permission.

Puff and Stuff | 4:33 p.m. June 10, 2009

Brag- brag- brag, boast- boast- boast. What else can we do in the church? We are super herons and hero's!

Yeshua | 5:41 p.m. June 10, 2009

The word for Jesus in Hebrew,When Jews become beleivers in Yeshua they still particpate in Jewish feasts and festivals;i.e Jews for Jesus,"Messianic Jews or completed Jews,Peter and Paul went to the synagogue for Passover,s well as other Jewish customs.

to: yeshua | 5:57 p.m. June 10, 2009

what is your source, I don't have any problems with this, just don't know how you would know, I've never read anything about them going to the synagogues after the church was setup. just curious where you got that info. thanks

John Pack Lambert | 8:21 p.m. June 10, 2009

To Benson,
You have no clue about the wide spread of the Church's welfare program. There are canneries and other facilities located in many places all across the country.

John Pack Lambert | 8:27 p.m. June 10, 2009

To Wonderful Story,
I would class several of the quotes before yours as deliberately provocative.
This article was not about Baptisms for the Dead or Living Jews converting to the Church. I have a friend who fits the same description as your friend, except he is still alive, but he just got married in the temple last Saturday. Well, he also joined the Church while in College in Pennsylvania, but other than that his story is the same.
I have known several other Jews in the Church.
However, the point of this article is that we can work to do good with people not of the same faith as us. This is a very true principal. It is understood and applied far too rarely though, and I am probably at times as guilty as any of not reaching out to other enough. I think we can all do better, and for things to improve we have to start by asking "Lord, Is it I" and then figure out what we can do to make it not us.

Dave | 12:09 a.m. June 11, 2009

To Puff and Stuff.
Rather than spouting your inane comments, it would be a good idea for you to join the 14 members of the LDS Church who join me in my Church Service Mission calling at Deseret Dairy Products at Welfare Square each Monday afternoon. They come to serve, not to brag. It would be helpful for you to experience the love for others these good people express each week.

vim | 11:56 a.m. June 11, 2009

A Jew who believes in Christ is not an apostate but what they call a "completed Jew." Jews for Jesus is an organisation here in the UK that teaches acceptance of Christ as the Messiah. Why should not a Jew who becomes a Christian continue to call himself a Jew if he uses it as a label to describe his heritage,eg. a Jewish Christian. How is this different from describing oneself as a Roman Catholic?
The Jewish nation as a whole will not accept the gospel til Christ returns but I'm sure many individuals within that community will and we should welcome them with open arms.

buddha luvr | 12:55 p.m. June 11, 2009

this pleases buddha! and me too

Nancy | 8:41 p.m. June 11, 2009

Therre's nothing like sharing a little sweat in the persuit of helping others who need a hand up. Love knows no boundries -- keep up the wonderful work.

BeastyfromNH | 9:07 p.m. June 11, 2009

This is such an uplifting article! And is doesn't matter what religion you are, both Mormons and Jews believe that God will choose his people and seperate them. We may not see exactly eye to eye all the time, but the principles of charity and hope are just as prevalent in both religions.

If we are right they will accept it when Christ comes. If they were to be right, I would accept it just as readily, as I believe in a Just and Merciful God who wants to be with all of his children through eternity.

and by the way, for accounts of apostles in the New Testament visiting Jewish places of worship, read from the four gospels to the end, it gives a full account...

Observer | 8:37 a.m. June 12, 2009

"To the Jew first, and then to the Gentile"

These were the words of Christ concerning the order in which the Gospel should be taken.

And one should remember that, in effect, all members of the early Christian church were converted Jews.

But....what has any of this got to do with the Church Welfare Program? I think that was supposed to be the topic.

It has been a blessing to me to go to the Church Peanut Butter Plant in Houston and made peanut butter for all the Bishop's Storehouses during the past many years.

Anonymous | 4:48 p.m. June 14, 2009

The Apostles did go to jewish congregations. But it was to teach not to be taught.

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